


Two Queens in a king-sized Bed

by tiniinbookland



Category: Original Work
Genre: Christmas Fluff, College, F/F, Fan Soundtracks, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Inspired by Music, Musicians, One Shot, Strangers to Friends, Strangers to Lovers, Useless Lesbians, and Greek mythology, eventually, girl in red, kind of, references to astronomy, two queens in a king sized bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 08:00:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27659867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniinbookland/pseuds/tiniinbookland
Summary: Two girls meet by coincidence and build up a friendship in the blink of an eye, glad to not be as lonely anymore. Over time, they notice how their feelings change. A sweet christmas present awaits them...
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Two Queens in a king-sized Bed

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, thank you for clicking on this story!
> 
> I wrote this inspired by the new girl in red song, Two queens in a king sized bed. It's the first time in a while I've actually been inspired and wrote something that's not less than a thousand words, so maybe I should thank Marie for that :D
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little story and have fun reading it; it's dedicated to girl in red and the gays.
> 
> If you want to, you can listen to the playlist I made for this here: [two queens in a king sized bed](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzicqIEGQv7dH3IbeY52H?si=rUzLci5ARrO06pcl0CpAPQ)

There is a beautiful voice belting out one of May’s favourite songs. She’s walking through one of the shopping passages in town, just having finished her shift at the supermarket and technically she wants nothing more than go home and hide in bed until her 8am class the next day, but there is someone singing her favourite song, beautiful raspy sounds weaving through the thin February air right to her ears. It was only logical to go there and see who has this excellent taste in music.

She slips through gaps between people who wander between the shops, everyone chattering loudly, couples, families, large groups of college students on their way to the nearest pub. At the end of the passage, between the last and second last shop, is a person strumming a guitar, words to The Neighbourhood’s Sweater Weather escaping their mouth along with the slightest bit of fog due to the cold.

Said person has their eyes closed but plays confidently anyway. May slowly walks closer, drawn in by the music and beauty of the person playing. Few other people have stopped too, but most keep walking, barely glancing towards the guitar case propped up in front of boot clad feet. The case is almost empty. A few lone coins and two crumpled banknotes sit in it, accompanied by a worn-down stuffed fox.

May rummages through the pockets of her coat for loose change, knowing well that she’d need the money too, but god knows how long this person has already been there, singing their throat raw in the cold dry air. They must be cold; it seems like a wonder that they can still play the guitar. May’s own fingers would be deep frozen without her coat pockets by now. There are gloves on the person’s hand but they were missing the fabric on the fingers so they couldn’t warm enough. Overall, their outfit doesn’t seem quite enough considering the season. Black boots over black stockings with a tiny cat face and ears disappearing under a skirt in the same colour each, a knitted lilac sweater on top and the fingerless gloves. Even May has clothes that could keep warmer.

Frowning, she slides the bit of change she found into the case, catching a closer look at the fox as she bends down. When she looks back up, a pair of warm brown eyes looks back at her. The person mouths a thank you in between two beats before finishing the song with a last strum of the guitar. Some people close enough applaud, making the person blush a little and bow for a moment. May watches as they gather the money from the case into an extra pocket to make room for the actual guitar.

“You have a really nice voice”, she says when the person closes the case, revealing a bunch of stickers on top of it. She catches sight of a rainbow and one that says “she/her” and smiles.

“Thank you”, the (presumably) girl says, blowing a strand of hair from her hair as she hoists the guitar case onto her back. “For the donation too”.

May simply shrugs. “One of my favourite songs”, she says, “I had to. Besides, your fox looked disappointed with what little you had in there”.

The girl laughs a little. “I see. But today was a good day compared to the rest of the week. Who knew people here were such a tough audience?”.

“You’ve been playing here for a week already?”, May asks. The girl nods. “How come I didn’t notice until today?”

“You tell me. Fate, maybe? Considering I played one of your favourites, you know”. “Obviously”. May rolls her eyes. “I’m May by the way”.

“Lia”. The girl takes the hand May offered and shakes it gently. Her fingers are indeed frozen, making May wonder even more how she played so beautifully anyway.

“So, you play here often?”, asks May and only then notices that they’re walking somewhere. Where, she doesn’t know, but it doesn’t matter anyway as long as she can keep talking to this pretty girl.

“I will”, pretty girl says, “I’ve only been in this place for a week, so I didn’t play often yet, but I hope to make some money here”. “Admirable”, May notes, “I don’t think I could just sing in front of strangers”.

Lia smiles widely. “I can teach you how I do it. See you tomorrow at the same place, around four?”. “Maybe three? I got a shift at four”. “Sure. It’s a date”. She winks before she disappears behind a corner. May is left stunned.

~~~

“You said you came here just like two weeks ago. How come?”, May asks around a mouthful of sandwich. The girls sit in a small café, a cuppa, and a sandwich each on the table between them. After a week of making less money than before due to the constant conversation with May, Lia proposed they should meet each other another place another time so she could earn at least a little. This café isn’t the Ritz, but considering their low budget it tastes pretty great.

Lia gestures, chewing a little faster to not make her new friend wait for her answer too long. “My parents couldn’t stomach both my sexuality and my dream to become a singer at once. They didn’t exactly kick me out, but were pretty clear they didn’t want me home anymore. So I grabbed the most important stuff, took the next train and et voilá, here I am”. She makes a little ta-da gesture and takes another bite of her food.

May stares at her in disbelief. “You were practically kicked out for being gay and for a dream, in the dead of winter?!”. “About right”. “Where do you stay? Can you report that? What the fuck”. She sighs loudly and strokes her hand through her hair.

Smiling mildly, Lia starts explaining: “Well, I think one could report that, but since I’m not a minor anymore I don’t think authorities can do much. For now, I stay at a homeless shelter, they support me until I have a job or go to college or inherit a fortune. Which isn’t gonna happen”. “How are you so calm about this?”. “Do you know Monty Python’s Life of Brian?” – A nod. Lia hums. “Always look on the bright side of life”.

May doesn’t have a reply to that. It’s so utterly optimistic, but she’s not going to ruin this poor girl’s mood by mentioning that, not when she’s already this low in life.

“What do you do then?”, asks Lia, sounding genuinely interested. “Trying to afford college and a flat with minimum wage shifts at the supermarket down the street”, is May’s simple answer. She never considered that interesting, but it seems even less adventurous now that she’s heard Lia’s little story. “Ohh, what do you study?”, Lia perks up again, looking at her opposite like a puppy excited to play. She definitely has the puppy dog eyes down, May thinks.

“Economics. Seemed as if it could get me the furthest in life I suppose”. Nodding, Lia thinks about it for a moment. “It does make sense. It’s not really what I would choose, even with the opportunities that come with it, but I can definitely see why you would pick that one”. May snorts. “It’s because I look like a true businesswoman, am I right?”. Lia laughs at that and my, she has a beautiful laugh. It’s not impossible that May melts a little.

“Absolutely. The skinny jeans and hoodie combo looks very serious”, comes as the final agreement and May finds it to be more endearing than she probably should.

It’s also delightful that Lia doesn’t ask why she pays for a flat and college on her own. Usually that one is the first thing that people ask when she mentions it. Lia appears to be a true refreshment.

~~~

“Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever make it as a musician”, Lia thinks loudly. “I mean- I don’t know. I’ve been singing downtown for two months now, which isn’t a lot, I know, but I did hope more of it. Is that childishly naïve of me?”.

May looks up from her old second-hand laptop and frowns a little. In the two months they’ve known each other, Lia has been nothing but happy, almost bubbly, never anything else for longer than the time it takes to frown. It takes May a moment to give this sentiment some space in her head.

“I think”, she starts, “it might just take some more time. Maybe the place isn’t the perfect choice either because it’s not like there’s label bosses or talent seekers around here often, but I’d buy your album”.

Lia shrugs. “I suppose”, the girl agrees. Her fingers absentmindedly comb through her wavy auburn hair. Scrunching her nose, she sits up a little more and peers onto the laptop screen. “You wouldn’t have to buy my album. You’d get a free copy cause you’re my closest friend”.

May’s heart doesn’t swell hearing that, no it doesn’t.

“I can help you practice more though. I may not sing in public, but I can make a private exception for a special person”, she suggests. Lia’s eyes light up at that. “I’d love to hear you sing!”

She sings Willow’s Wait A Minute! Then, twice because Lia joins in for the second go any okay, maybe singing with and for someone else isn’t as bad as May always made it to be.

~~~

By summer, Lia and May play downtown together. Only knowing the piano, May can’t exactly add something to Lia’s musical background, but her own voice seems to be enough for her friend. It’s higher and now they can sing songs that require at least two different voices too, Lia had said a few weeks before.

The guitar case doesn’t fill up much more than before though. Whether that is due to their song choices or May’s clothing style that practically screams gay at conservatives’ faces isn’t exactly clear. At one point, both decide to take a break from daily singing for barely anything.

On a Sunday, they just sit under a tree by the river, their feet in the water. It’s as cool as they can get. May’s flat doesn’t have air conditioning and neither has spare money for a fan.

Lia hums soft tune, scribbling words into the notebook on her lap. May tried to sneak a glance at her work before and almost got pushed into the river, so she sticks to throwing daisies at her friend’s head now.

It’s nice to have a lazy day for once. The supermarket may have air conditioning and a bunch of freezers, but one could only endorse work for so long. Not to mention the customers who were just bad at any time of the year. Currently, it is mostly them complaining because the ice cream freezer is empty, or the tropical fruits are sour or something. Both don’t belong to May’s tasks and problems.

“What’s your backup plan?”, she asks into the blue. Lia stops scribbling for a moment, the tone of her humming switching ever so slightly. She ponders. May notices the little creases on her forehead and the slight scrunch of her nose which always appear when Lia thinks.

“College, I suppose. I’ve got applications for a scholarship under my bed and as far as I know the counsellors should be able to help me with them”, Lia answers. She stares into the river before speaking again: “Problem is though, that once I have something stable, no matter how little money I make off it, or if I even make money, I have to leave the shelter. An occupation of any kind apparently means I can support myself or something. It makes little sense. As if I could afford a place, with or without scholarships. But I have to make an effort, you know? Without effort to find something I can’t stay there either and it’s not like I’ve made much effort since winter”.

She sighs and lets herself fall into the grass behind her. The bright blue of the sky shimmers through the leaves of the tree above her.

May hums quietly. “You could move in with me”, she proposes. “I mean you know it’s small and I only have space for my bed, but I wouldn’t mind sharing with you. And when we split the rent you could afford it with a job or that scholarship”.

Silence washes over them for a moment. Lia doesn’t say anything, and May grows more anxious by the second, fearing her idea was ridiculous. They haven’t known each other for that long after all. When she looks up from where she was kneading her hands, she finds her friend staring at her.

“Are you serious?”, Lia whispers. During the silence she pulled her feet out of the water and has turned her whole body towards May now. May, who looks a little unsure herself but nods nonetheless.

“Yes. You- You don’t have to, of course. Or if you find something better, bigger, or a way to make more money and can afford something on your own you can always go again. I just don’t want you in the streets again, really”. May stutters. Lia is in awe. In the short time she’s known May, she’s never seen her stuttering. Or short of confidence at all. It was kind of lovely to see this side of her. Sort of pure. Adding depth to her character.

The corners of Lia’s mouth slowly move upwards and a warm feeling bubbles in her chest.

“I’d love that”, she says softly, touching May’s hand briefly. “Thank you”. There is a puff of air escaping her friend’s lips and finally her blue eyes look at Lia again. Both smile now, just looking at each other now, happy to be there.

Two weeks later, Lia is enrolled in college. She has to have her bags packed to move out a few days later and as nice as the people at the shelter are, their policies are rather questionable. But she follows, not having much to pack anyway, and is out by Wednesday.

May gave her the key to her flat the day before, knowing she wouldn’t be able to pick her friend up and help her carry her bags. So, Lia carried her guitar case and the large duffel bag she brought from home through half the city on her own.

Luckily, the heatwave has faded by now, only leaving a pleasant breeze as sign for the upcoming season. The sun was easy to block out with sunglasses but even though the air was nice, not sweating while carrying two heavy bags several kilometres was impossible.

But Lia is a strong girl, she made it into the city half a year ago, she could make it through just a bit of it too. Besides, May promised there was iced coffee in the fridge. That and the promise of a soft bed make her walk the whole way without stopping once.

May’s run-down flat is fairly small. Of course Lia had been there before, but living there too is likely to be a little more difficult. She dumps her bags in the small hallway by the door and toes off her shoes before walking into the tiny kitchen. It’s cramped, but it feels more at home than the kitchenette in the shelter did.

There is a fridge, which is by far the largest object in the room, a stove with space for two pots, a combination of sink and counter with two cabinets hung above and a small oven. A small shelf next to the fridge is littered with little pots of basil and rosemary plants, a bunch of rainbow coloured sticky notes sticks to a cabinet door. Lia smiles at the little doodles drawn on them.

With a pack of iced coffee, she walks over into the room that’s basically everything that is not kitchen or bathroom. The most luxurious thing in there is a king-sized bed with soft looking sheets, which they would have to share. In the corner to the kitchen is a round dining table with three chairs and dried flowers in a vase on top. By the window is a TV on a self-crafted stand and between this and the bed is a coffee table which is also used as a nightstand. A long dresser lines the wall they share with the flat next to theirs. May’s collection of succulents is neatly arranged on top, along with random beauty products that didn’t fit in the bathroom anymore.

Lia takes a few minutes to sip her coffee, calm her heart rate and just take in her new surroundings. This home was so much less than her previous one. But it finally feels like home again.

~~~

At the beginning of September, summer kicks in a last time. The stuffed lecture rooms of college feel like a sauna and not even the professors are able to concentrate much.

That’s the reason why May and Lia find themselves out of their classes early and back downtown. Their singing spot is in full sunlight and after almost collapsing from that, they agree they have to find a new spot. At least until it gets colder again.

The new one is on the other end of the passage, where it connects to a little park. People with dogs are there, two families munch away on picknicks under a big tree close to the playground and some elderly couples line the shady paths. It makes a relaxed picture, and the girls agree that they’d have to sing according to weather and scenery.

Against expectation, they attract most of the elderly who clap along happily when they hear a song they know. The sight is kind of adorable.

During a water break, one of the ladies comes up to them, throwing a bill into the guitar case before leaning in. “Excuse you, miss”, she smiles at Lia who smiles and greets her.

“Do you happen to know the song Peaches by The Stranglers?”, the lady asks, sounding hopeful. May, having caught the short exchange, cocks an eyebrow. “Do we know – Miss, of course we do!”.

Delighted, the lady claps her hands. “Could you play it for me and my friends? It was our favourite when we were your age”. May grins and salutes, looking over to Lia who grins right back and curtseys. “To your service, miss!”.

They agree to take more requests then. It certainly pays off, because by the end of the day the case is full, and a bunch of old people were happy. A win-win, really.

~~~

The second last day of October was the first clear night in a while. Lia and May had made a thermos of tea and took it with them to smoke cigarettes on the roof.

In between two cigarettes, Lia lets her feet dangle over the edge of the roof and lies back against the cool tiles.

“We’re so small against the universe”, she muses. “Each star up there is ages away and so large, we’re but a speck of dust compared to it. And yet...”. She stops, turning her head to look at her friend who merely eyes the empty streets below them. “And yet we’re closer to their size than to the size of the smallest thing humanity knows about. How fucked up is that?”

May laughs quietly. “Are you sure these are normal cigs? Your philosophy sounds like weed-talk”. Lia scoffs and rolls her eyes. “You know damn well we can’t afford weed”

“Alright alright, I know that. I was just joking around. But it’s true, eh? The size thing I mean?” “Yeah. It’s crazy but humans are closer to the size of the biggest thing than the smallest in the universe. Really fucks with the brain”

Lia gets a hum in response. She sits up and steals another cigarette from the pack that peaks out of May’s pocket. She doesn’t light it but just turns it in her hand before staring up to the sky again.

“Did you know that Orion hates the Scorpio which is why he always sinks under the horizon in the west when Scorpio rises in the east?”, May pipes up after a moment of silence. Lia frowns. “What?”

“Legend says a scorpion killed Orion because the goddess Artemis told it so. Since that, Orion hates all scorpions so much, he even runs away from them on our night sky”.

Lia blinks. Once. Twice. “Are you really telling me Greek legends about stars while we look at them?”. “Uh, yes? I can also tell you Greek legends that aren’t about stars, but I thought the topic fit our star gazing. Because Orion is right there”. May points at the sky where Orion’s belt is clearly visible, before turning to look at her friend who just looks at her in awe.

“I didn’t know you knew legends!”, she exclaims, sounding ecstatic enough to make her friend chuckle. “I do”, May smiles, “Want another one?”. “Please!”

“Okay, so, Ganymede, the one the Jupiter moon is named after, is said to have been abducted by Zeus to be his personal cupbearer. Some literature says that his wife, Hera, saw Ganymede as a rival for her husband’s attraction. Now, I’m not sure how many sources say that, but he later became the symbol for young and beautiful homosexual desires in poetry. And apparently also became the constellation Aquarius which we could see if we were on the other side of the roof”.

“Proper romantic you are, telling a girl legends under the stars, huh?”, Lia teases, making May snort. “Shut up you dipshit. I just know how to entertain you best, don’t I?” “I never even told you I like mythology” “You’re a lesbian, the chance was high you do” “Stereotypical, aren’t we?” “Well, I was right”.

Lia rolls her eyes but can’t suppress a smile. “You’re a lesbian too though, idiot”, she mumbles, not quite able to sound as grudgingly as she’d like to. May just grins at her, still victorious about having guessed correctly. “Indeed, I am, but I wouldn’t know as much about mythology if I didn’t like it either, would I?” “S’pose you’re right. It’s still not nice to generalize”. She not so threateningly wags her finger to May’s face before using that hand to hide her yawn.

“You cold?”, May asks, already shuffling out of her leather jacket. “No no, I’m fine”, Lia insists but her arms wrapping around herself give her away. How she survived in just her skirt and sweater until now is once again a miracle to May.

Gently, she drapes her jacket around her friend who subtly snuggles into the warmth it radiates. For effort, and maybe to keep some warmth herself, May wraps an arm around Lia before looking back onto the sleeping city.

Lia’s gaze stays on her friend, taking in her side profile; the soft bow of her lips, the slight curve of her nose and the way the light from around them reflects in her pale blue eyes. A true beauty.

It’s in that moment, on the cold dirty roof of their cheap apartment complex under the starlight, in the icy cold of the October night, that she realises she wants this forever. That she wants to spend forever in her best friend’s arms, her warmth, no matter the time or place. Because it just feels right to be here, just as them with no one watching, stargazing in silence.

She smiles a little, trying not to think about what that meant, and leans her head against May’s shoulder before looking back at the stars. Any more thoughts could wait until another time.

~~~

When Lia wakes up, the sun shines through the paper-thin white curtains. The window is slightly open, and the cold breeze makes the fine hairs on her skin stand up. Scrunching her nose, she curls up further in the sheets and turns around to face her roommate. May’s features are soft, pale freckles lining her cheeks and shining in the morning sun and not a single wrinkle of worry to be seen. Lia wants to reach out and lightly stroke her cheek, tuck a strand of feathery brown hair behind her ear but she knows it could wake her up and then there would be questions as to why she’s touching a face that’s not her own. So she just watches a little longer, soaking up the peace the sight radiates and keeping her hands to herself.

Half an hour later, she gets up. May has turned around, softly breathing into her pillow with the blanket up to her eyes, an unconscious attempt at shielding from the sun.

Quietly, Lia gathers some clothes from the dresser and taps into the bathroom. She rolls her eyes at herself in the mirror while brushing her teeth and frowns at the state of her hair which could need a wash. But not now. There were places to be after all, and the water only got warm when enough people had used some before anyway.

As soon as she’s done, she grabs her guitar case and slips out of the door to walk downtown and hopefully make some money off singing.

The sun is still out when she arrives at her usual place, but a nasty wind has come up and keeps whistling through the shopping passage. Pedestrians around her pull their scarves up higher and their hats lower to block out the temperature. It makes Lia consider taking a bit of the money she’d been saving to get a scarf or hat too. Maybe if she made enough today.

Shaking herself out of thoughts, she sets up her little place. It’s almost a subconscious routine by now; strapping the instrument to her upper body and setting up the little fox in the open case.

May had asked her once if the fox meant anything but she’d just shrugged it off as a little quirk she had, adding that foxes were her favourite. Her friend didn’t seem entirely convinced but had let the topic drop.

Lia licks her lips, regretting not having used the lip balm she had in the bathroom, and strums a few lazy chords to make her hands remember how to play at all.

A few strangers stop to listen to her acoustic version of The Velvet Underground’s Pale Blue Eyes and applaud when she makes it through the end, but even less drop money into her case. She smiles nonetheless, thanking those who did.

Halfway through Mr. Sandman, a second higher voice joins her, and she opens her eyes to find May standing in front of her, smiling. Lia smiles back and allows herself a moment to take in her friend, though she doesn’t stop singing with her.

While not obvious to strangers, it was clear to Lia that May just got up. The way her hair was still a little messed up, the crumpled look of the white shirt she wore to sleep under the thick red flannel, a faint spot of spilled toothpaste on the black skinny jeans. It looked homey and Lia had to restrain herself from getting lost in feelings. Forgetting lyrics was just something she couldn’t afford, not with the little money singing made.

Coins jangle as they’re dropped into the guitar case. May thanks the strangers before turning to her friend.

“Why didn’t you wake me?”, she asks. “You slept so peacefully, and I know you have the late shift today”, is the shrugged answer. “How did you know I was here?”, is the question that follows.

May smiles and looks down. “I know the times you have class. And when you’re not in class you’re either home or here. Or maybe down at the river, but it’s too cold to go there”.

There is this warm feeling in Lia’s chest again. This feeling of being overwhelmed because someone notices little things you do or like, because someone cares. Involuntarily, she smiles at that. “You didn’t have to come too though”, she says still smiling.

“I know. I wanted to. Can’t see you tonight when I work, can I?”. Without waiting for an answer, May searches through her back pocket and dumps a dark red beanie on Lia’s head. The girl looks stunned and begins to ask but is interrupted by the answer already. “I figured you’ll be cold, and I had this one left”, May explains, pointing to a matching beanie on her own head. “Next song?”.

Still stunned and with the sweetest blush coating her cheeks, Lia nods and starts the melody to Devil or Angel by Ezra Furman. She even forgets to sing when May starts the verse, too mesmerized by the lightness of the girl’s voice. If she had to decide in that moment, she’d pick May as the angel rather than the devil.

~~~

For a few weeks, they can’t go out and sing. It’s gotten terribly cold and not only did their classes consume a lot of their time, but Lia also got sick, barely being able to talk with the way her throat hurt.

Still, she pushes herself out of the flat and to her classes anyway because she can’t afford to miss them. Her education is important, as it might be the only way to ever be able to afford anything again. Hope number one is still singing, but no one has discovered her and May so far, so maybe an engineering degree is the wiser choice.

May on the other hand lacks with her classes. She chooses to work double shifts instead, mostly to afford more soup and tea, plus some medication for Lia. Her illness worries her a little, even though Lia insists she’s fine. It might be true, but better safe than sorry. Especially because May doesn’t want Lia to have to quit singing forever just because she caught a cold.

She cares for her friend well, keeping her in bed for as long as she could and giving her tea or soup in a thermos when she insists on going to a lecture. It feels a little domestic, but neither of them minds in the slightest. In fact, May keeps musing over Lia’s cute button nose that’s all red from blowing it every few minutes and her dimples which still appear whenever she laughs. At least they also mean she’s still happy.

Lia is on cloud nine, not having been cared for like that in ages and even though she still worries about her classes and money, she feels careless enough to let her soul loose from time to time.

In her opinion, May could only care for her more if she cuddled her more. But they don’t really do that in their friendship, and she doesn’t want to get her friend sick too. She sticks to being handed warm cups and sweet bonbons that make her throat feel better. One day, May brings home some frozen fruit, and it feels so good in Lia’s achy throat, she just wants to kiss May.

~~~

Christmas is a week away. Considering both of them don’t have classes because of Christmas break, it had become a fair amount more difficult for Lia to sing alone downtown. May’s shifts are mostly early these days, meaning Lia often slept in until May was bound to be back very soon, and then she’d want to come with her. The only solution she could come up with was setting an alarm to ring just a few minutes after May leaves in the morning.

Being this secretive has its sense though. By now it’s obvious to herself how very in love she is with her friend and also clear was that she needed to get her lovely Christmas present. But well, Lia’s creativity has never been quite enough for good presents and the lack of money is still tying her hands.

Honestly, this isn’t just about being in love with her, but also about what she had received from May since the day they met. The feeling to need to give something back is just too strong at this point.

Lia sits at the small dining table, scribbling away in a worn-out notebook once again. The stuffed fox from her guitar case sits next to a half-eaten sandwich, watching over her as she tries to put together lyrics for a song. It’s just an emergency solution, really, but the days keep dwindling away and time runs out and she is just not certain she can find a good present for little money anymore and a backup plan is needed. At this point, the backup plan might need a backup plan too though.

She has written before, but this one is the first she wants to show someone, so it has to be perfect. Naturally.

But nothing is perfect. Everything sounds too cheesy or to dry, or like too much or it doesn’t rhyme. This one isn’t it either, two weeks of work and brainstorming for nothing. Lia is just about to give in to her desperation and sing it out loud again anyway, when the lock jangles and the door opens.

“Honey, I’m home!”, May yells into the room, laughing at herself just a second after. The corners of Lia’s mouth lift and she listens as her roommate hangs away her coat, washes her hands in the bathroom and pads through the little hallway to appear in the doorframe. Her cheeks are red from the December air and her hair is messed up from wind and sleet. She looks beautiful, Lia thinks.

“What were you doing?”, May asks, nodding to Lia’s notebook still on the table as she flings herself into the bedsheets. “Nothing” is the quick answer, and the notebook is shut just as quickly. “Want the rest of my sandwich?” “You know me so well”, May grins and makes grabby hands for the plate.

Yeah, Lia thinks, if it was only enough for a gift.

~~~

The two chains of fairy lights above the bed make up for the lack of Christmas decoration. There are also a few stray pieces of pine needles because they couldn’t afford a tree, but that’s okay because at least they won’t have to struggle with throwing it out again.

A lonely red candle burns down on the tiny coffee table close to the TV.

Lia stares into the flame, barely noticing the calming strokes of her best friend’s hand through her hair. The TV is on but it’s just a background noise to her thoughts. Well, maybe May watches. She can’t be sure, but it doesn’t matter anyway.

It’s almost midnight and after midnight it’s finally Christmas day. She still doesn’t have a present and it probably shouldn’t affect her this much, but this is the first Christmas that could be good in a while and she’s not able to do anything for it anymore. A sigh escapes her lips, and she turns around, burrowing her face in the pillow. May’s pillow, as she notices as soon as she inhales.

That’s it, she thinks, that’s the icing on the cake. If this won’t make me cry, then I don’t know what will.

“Lia? Are you okay?”. A second hand appears in her hair, gently massaging her scalp. She mumbles into the pillow and even though May doesn’t understand a single word, she doesn’t pry. They’ve known each other long enough for her to know that Lia will talk eventually. Until then, she turns down the volume of the TV and quietly hums Mr. Sandman to calm her down.

Soon enough, Lia turns her head and joins the lyrics in a whisper. May smiles down at her and together they finish the song. “It’s almost better without the guitar”, Lia remarks, making May snort. “Almost. If even”, she retorts.

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong now?”. She earns a sigh.

“Alright well, it’s stupid but anyway”. May nods at her, motioning for her to go on.

“This is the first Christmas in a while that I feel comfortable experiencing and basically all of this is due to you because obviously it’s you who got me here in the first place. And I don’t even have a present for you, but you deserve the best present. Not only because you helped me with so much, but also because I like you a lot, you know? A whole lot to be precise. And I’m sorry I don’t have a lot to give, but I would give you everything”.

Lia looks into another direction, blinking away a few stray tears. She didn’t mean to confess her feelings, but she’s overwhelmed and telling her friend how much she appreciates her is all she has left now.

A warm hand cups her cheek and turns her head around to face May. She smiles warmly, blue eyes glinting in the candlelight and looking oh so tenderly. “You don’t really think I offered you my own bed to sleep simply because I’m so nice, did you?”, she whispers, laughing to herself for a moment. “This is me taking advantage of the fact you needed a place and luring you into my bed to be close to you”.

“How do you mean?” “I like you too, you absolute doofus! Have for quite a while, actually. And I thought sharing a bed with you would be heaven but it’s more like hell when I can’t even give you a proper cuddle. The platonic ones over a shitty movie just don’t do it”.

Two brown eyes stare at her with an emotion she can’t quite name. There are tears close to spilling over the edge and she also doesn’t know whether the tears are good or bad. But considering Lia just confessed her love, she was fairly certain she’d be allowed to wipe them like a girlfriend would.

“Can I kiss you?”, a timid voice asked. Lia’s voice, so small compared to the powerful echo she creates when she sings. Instead of answering, May leans closer to her and captures her lips with her own. It’s Lia’s cold and soft lips against May’s warm and chapped ones. They kiss softly, innocently for a short while, simply enjoying each other’s presence and the soft buzz the feeling of love creates under their skin.

When they break apart, May wipes her thumb under Lia’s closed eye, catching a single stray tear before it has the opportunity to fall further. She looks at her adoringly and keeps petting her cheek with the hand she has still lying there. Lia smiles into the touch, nuzzling a little further before letting her forehead fall onto May’s shoulder. May, lovely May, who promptly hugs her close.

They stay like that. The candle keeps burning down and is almost out when they change their position, just as the TV has switched off on its own from not being used in too long. All light that’s left when the candle goes out comes from the fairy lights. It wraps them in a warm shimmer that goes well with their comfortable silence and close position.

“I’d have kissed you anyway, on Christmas day”, May breaks the silence. “Because I don’t have a present for you either. And we don’t have a mistletoe, but I’d have kissed you anyway”.

“How would you have explained that?”, Lia wants to ask. But she doesn’t, because it doesn’t matter anymore. “You can keep doing it all day”, she says instead and accepts the soft chuckle she gets as an answer.

The fairy lights go out soon after. A glint of moonlight seeps through the curtains, barely enough to make out the other one’s features. They don’t need to though, as both know for once, that the other one is happy.

As Christmas day begins, hidden from the world are they, two queens in a king-sized bed. Their feet tangled in snow white sheets.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my friends Iuna and Seb, who beta read this work for me, and thanks to girl in red for the beautiful inspiration :)
> 
> Have a lovely gay time


End file.
